Snow-shovel.



No. 760,639. PATENTED- MAY 24, 1904.

' c. MEN ZIES. 7. SHOW SHOVBL. AYPLIOA'IIOH I'ILED AUG. 27, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

girl? 1 i .T all whom it may concern: p v Be it known that I, ROBERTCHARLES MEN-Q ZIES, a citizen of the United'States, residing UNITEDSTATES Patented May 24,- 1904. I

PATENT OFFICE.

SNO'W -SHOVEL.

srEoIFIcA'rIoN forming part of Letters" aten d. 760,639, dated. may 24,1904.

Application filed August 27, 1903. Sei'ia1No.'170,984;" (No model.) I

at Glens Falls, in the county of Warren and State of New York,- haveinvented a new and useful Snow-Shovel, of which the following is a aspecification. g a This invention relates to shovels, and especiallytojthat class of shovels which etre-u'su: v

ally employed" for the purpose of removing snow, c, and *compacted snowfrom side-, walks. In the construction of shovels of this class severalfeatures 'are of essential importance. One point isthat the blade ofsuch shovel should be as I thin-as possible in order that it I may beconveniently inserted below the ice or snow which it is desired toremove,

- especially when the. snow'has been compacted or pressed together bytraflic. Another point is that it. is desirable that such blade shouldnot be provided" with side flanges, which when used greatly limit thecapacity of the shovel by'causing such snow or ice as may project beyond:the sides of the blade to be broken off, while the natural tenacity ofsaid material when a fiat flangeless blade is used enables a much largershovelful to be handled. Again,

I I it is important that the blade While thin should be possessed of thestiffness and rigidity necessary to render it successful in operation.With these various ends in view snow-shovels have heretofore beenconstructed in a number of different ways and from different ma-- havehardly been sufliciently thin to enter below the snow or ice which is tobe operated upon with the requisite readiness. Handles have beenattached to the different varieties ofshovel-blades in a variety ofways; but the 59 has oftentimes involved peculiarities in the' 'viewtaken on the line 8 8 in Fig. 1."

selves'been objectionable. I V By myfpresent invention I provide ashovelconsisting of asimple flat piece of steel havji ng'no'flanges orprotuberancesof any kind Whatever- This sheet is" attached to a bent toresistany strain to which it may in practicebe subjected. The method ofconnecting theparts together is of extreme simplicityand of such anatureas to cause no objectionable protuberances to be formed. I In theaccompanying draw1ngs, F1gure 1 1s a plan new of a snow-shovelconstructed 1n accordance with my invention. Fig.2"isa side elevation ofthe same. Fig. 3'is a side view showingthebl'ade prior to its attachmentto the handle. Fig. iis a side'view showing the handledetached. Fig. 5is a longitudinal 'sectionalview showing a modification. 6 isa'sectional view taken on the line 6 6 in Fig. 2. Fig. 7 isa sectionalview taken on Fig.

the line 7 7 in Fig. 5. Fig. 8 is a sectiona Corresponding parts in theseveral figures are indicated by similar numerals of reference.

The blade of my improved shovel consists of an ordinary flat sheet ofsteel 1 of suitable dimensions, the upper corners of which may betrimmed ofl, as shown at 2. This is not strictly necessary, but itimproves the appearance and prevents said upper corners from catching'on the garments of the user. 3 designates the handle, which may beturned from wood and the lower end or point of which is bent upward, asshown atv 4. The

under side of said bent end is also trimmed or beveled, as shown at 5,said bevel serving to emphasize the bend of the point or lower end ofthe handle.

The sheet which constitutes the blade is provided near its upper edgewith perforations 6 6 and at some distance from its lower edge with asingle perforation 7. a

In assembling the parts of the shovel the point of the handleis'placedupon the sheet which is to constitute the blade, and. a clip 8 Iconstruction of the blade' which have I is passed over said handle andthrough the perforations 6 6, nuts 9 being tightened upon the threadedarms of the clip. The handle is provided near its extreme lower end witha perforation 10, and a T-bolt 11 is then inserted through saidperforation and through the perforation 7 in the blade and a nut 12fitted thereon, this necessitating the bending of the blade in order tobring the said perforations into alinement. These perforations 7 and 10should be relatively so disposed that when. they come into alinementwith each other the blade shall be bent closely against the bent andbeveled under side of the handle.

If desired, the use of the fastening-nuts may be dispensed with and theends of the clip and of the T-bolt, that project upon the under side,may be clenched or upset. In this; case it is desirable to interposewasher-plates, as will be seen at 15 in Figs. 5 and 7 where thismodification has been illustrated.

From'the foregoing description, taken in.

connection with the drawings thereto an-j nexed, the operation andadvantages of my invention will be readily understood. By form-j ing theblade of sheetsteel, as herein described, I provide a device possessinggreat? strength and durability and one which to a greater degree than aflanged or a wooden blade possesses the characteristics which aredesirable in a tool of this class. The con-j str'uction is one ofextreme simplicity and in-= expensiveness, and, if desired, the bladesand! the handles may be packed separately for ship-i ment, therebysaving much space and avoiding injury to the goods in transit. Thepeculiar tapering form of the lower end of the handle will presentlittle or no obstruction to the snow or ice which is encountered by thedevice in practical use.

Other advantages will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in theart to which my invention appertains, and I desire to state that I donot limit myself to the precise structural .form herein shown, butreserve the right to any modifications that lie within the scope of myinvention and which may be resorted to without departing from the spiritor sacrificing the utility of the same.

Having thus described my invention, I claim A snow-shovel comprising ablade consisting of a flat sheet of steel, a handle having a bent lowerend beveled on its under side, a clip connecting said handle with theblade near the upper edge of the latter, and connecting means extendingthrough perforations at the point of the handle and in the blade, saidperforations being brought into alinement by bending the blade toconform to the curvature of the handle.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT CHARLES MENZIES.

Witnesses:

HENRY S. CowLEs, NEWTON S. McCoMBER.

